Article 64

Villagers training as self-defence militias

Army follows wishes of HM the Queen

WASSANA NANUAM

The Fourth Army is training village defence volunteers at the urging of Her Majesty the Queen, and aims to turn out 900 militiamen in the three troubled provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

The Queen, who is taking a retreat at Taksin Ratchanives Palace in Narathiwat province, told Fourth Army commander Lt-Gen Pisarn Wattanawongkeeree last week of her wish to see militiamen trained in self-defence.

``It is Her Majesty's wish to see Buddhist and Muslim Thais take part in the scheme and work together without feeling suspicious towards one another,'' Lt-Gen Pisarn said.

The Fourth Army would train three companies of defence volunteers in each of the three provinces.

Defence training for the first group of villagers in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat started on Sept 14. Defence volunteers will be trained in every village. The Queen has set aside a personal fund for the training, Lt-Gen Pisarn said.

In Pattani, 118 Buddhist and Muslim villagers, six of them women, from 35 villages in five tambons of Khok Pho district, are being trained by soldiers of the 1st battalion of the Ubon Ratchathani-based 6th Infantry Regiment. Rifles are provided by the Interior Ministry.

Lt Preecha Thanakhun, a training instructor, said villagers would get lessons in combat and use of weapons, discipline training and lectures on basic law during the 12-day course. ``They must be capable of using weapons since they will be on security duty around the clock in their villages,'' he said.

Hama Yunui, 36, a Muslim villager from Ban Khuanplae, tambon Tha Rua, said Muslim and Buddhists usually kept apart because of religious and language differences.

``The Queen's training scheme will bring Muslims and Buddhists together,'' he said.